Eric's Autos: 2025 VW Jetta GLI

Remember when what was once commonly referred to as a standard -- that is, a manual -- transmission was ... commonly standard? And automatics were generally optional, with the exception of luxury-brand (and "loaded") vehicles?

Fast-forward to the present. It isn't easy to find a manual transmission as an option -- in anything. Even the Corvette is now automatic only.

But if you still prefer to shift for yourself, there's one car that still comes standard with a manual, and the really unusual thing about it is that it's a sedan.

What It Is

The Jetta GLI is the high-performance version of Volkswagen's Jetta sedan. The latter comes standard with a 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine that makes 158 horsepower and only with an automatic transmission. The GLI comes standard with a larger -- and much stronger -- 2.0-liter engine and a standard manual transmission. A performance-calibrated seven-speed (direct-shift gearbox) automatic is available as a no-cost option.

The price for a Jetta GLI equipped with either transmission is $32,715.

All GLIs are front-wheel drive.

There are slim pickings when it comes to rivals. They include the Hyundai Elantra N, which comes standard with a manual and a stronger engine and significantly lower fuel economy as well as a higher MSRP ($34,250 to start), and the Honda Civic Si, which comes also standard with a manual and a smaller MSRP ($29,950) but also a smaller engine and less power.

And without an available automatic, if you prefer not to shift for yourself.

What's New For 2025

The GLI gets a new-look front and rear clips as well as a standard glass-faced 8-inch LCD touch screen. Also, the previously optional Autobahn package -- which bundles a limited-slip axle, sharper steering, upgraded brakes and an adaptive suspension with driver-selectable modes, plus luxury amenities such as a panorama sunroof, heated leather seats and a heated steering wheel -- is now standard.

The downside -- if you're on a budget -- is that the '25 GLI is now several thousand dollars more expensive than it was last year -- when you could get the GLI's essentials (the high-performance engine, the manual transmission) without all the extras for $28,085. That low-entry price point gave the '24 GLI a big competitive advantage over the stronger but much pricier Elantra N.

It was also more competitive with the Civic Si -- which is now the only one of the three you can still buy for less than $30,000.

What's Good

-- Standard manual transmission is getting hard to find even in performance cars.

-- A sleeper. It's speedy -- but doesn't look it.

-- Though technically a compact sedan, the Jetta GLI has about as much room inside -- especially in the rear -- as many midsize sedans.

What's Not So Good

-- Autobahn equipment is nice to have -- if you can afford it. If you can't, then you cannot afford the GLI anymore.

-- Elantra N is now only a little bit more expensive -- and a lot more powerful.

-- Glass-faced touch screen is sensitive to inadvertent touching.

Under the Hood

The GLI comes standard with a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine that produces a maximum of 228 horsepower and 258 foot-pounds of torque. It is basically the same engine that powers the VW GTI -- the hotted-up version of the VW Golf five-door hatchback. In the latter, the output of the 2.0-liter engine is a little higher (241 horsepower), but both VWs can get to 60 mph in about six seconds -- or even sooner.

The words are italicized to highlight something interesting about these VWs: They are quicker when equipped with the available seven-speed automatic.

So equipped, the Jetta GLI can make the 0-60 mph run in about 5.6 seconds. With the six-speed manual, it takes about six seconds -- a significant difference in quickness that can be attributed to the automatic's ability to shift quicker than the manual can be shifted by most humans. The automated manual's got dual-clutch internals (that's why it's called an automated manual) that allow for lightning-quick up (and down) shifts that only a few human drivers could replicate consistently.

On the other hand, the manual is arguably more fun -- about which more follows.

On the Road

The GLI carries on the tradition that began some 40 years ago -- when VW first offered a hotted-up version of the Rabbit (which became the Golf) called GTI, riffing on the famous Pontiac GTO (which riffed on the Ferrari GTO). The idea -- in both cases -- was to take a grocery getter and make it capable of getting the groceries a lot faster. Thus making the getting of groceries a lot more fun.

The standard manual transmission is a key element. It is hard to not harp on that enough because it is that important. Automatics take away from the interactivity of driving, which is part of the fun even in a car that isn't hotted up.

Cars are so overcontrolled now that having this kind of control over a car is almost like getting yard time when in prison. You feel the exhilaration that comes from not being confined. You can walk this way -- or that way. Faster -- or slower. This is freedom -- and it's what you experience when you work the Jetta GLI's shifter.

And pedals.

At the Curb

The Jetta GLI looks pretty much like a Jetta -- and that's a good thing. It's tasteful but not attention drawing, which is very good if you like driving the way a GLI was meant to be driven. It is one of the finest sleepers out there -- now that the Toyota Camry (which was the greatest of the bunch) is no longer available with the V6 that made it quicker -- and faster -- than a '60s-era GTO.

It's also something else.

Though classified as a compact sedan, the Jetta's a midsize sedan on the inside. It has 41.1 inches of legroom for the driver and front-seat passenger, and 37.4 inches of rear-seat legroom -- as well as a 14.1-cubic-foot trunk. Compare those stats with the 2025 Camry (which is now a hybrid only). The latter is 193.5 inches long (versus 186.9 inches for the VW) and has 42.1 inches of front-seat legroom and 38 inches of backseat legroom -- a distinction without much difference. The midsize Camry's 15.1 cubic feet of trunk space is only slightly greater too. But the difference in footprint is big enough to make a noticeable difference when trying to park curbside.

The Rest

The updated 2025 GLI comes standard with a glass-faced 8-inch touch screen that looks more high-end than the usual plasticky pop-tart thing erupting from the top of the dashboard. There are also manual tuning and volume knobs built into it, which allows adjustment without tapping/swiping. But it's also easy to inadvertently touch the screen while turning the knob, which can cause the system to make changes you didn't want -- such as switching from satellite radio to FM.

The Bottom Line

The Jetta GLI is one of just a small handful of sedans you still get to drive -- as opposed to being driven.

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Eric's latest book, "Doomed: Good Cars Gone Wrong!" will be available soon. To find out more about Eric and read his past columns, please visit the Creators Syndicate webpage at www.creators.com.